Australias Oldest Pub For Sale

Will Australias Oldest Pub Be Turned Into A Housing Complex?

Hobart – A pub which originally opened in 1807 and lays claim to be the oldest in Australia, is up for sale. There is much speculation though from Hobart residents as to what will become of the old pub. The Hope and Anchor first served its pints of ale back in the winter of 1807 and was called The Whale Fishery; it later changed its name to The Hope and eventually The Alexandra before settling on The Hope and Anchor.

The Hope and Anchor

The beautiful corner pub could be demolished and turned into new homes. It is this very real fear that Hobart residents have, particularly as there seems to a downward turn in the housing market in Tasmania just as there is on the mainland. The pub is steeped in rich history too. One story is of a criminal Ike Solomon, who was transported from London to the island state in 1828. Solomon performed many of his dodgy dealings at the pub and some of the landlords back then were involved in smuggling rum in that had been stolen and pilfered from the local docklands. Much of these criminal actions occurred during the hours of darkness.

Photo from Flickr (Creative Commons License for Commercial Use)

The Hope and Anchor at the moment does not look a pretty sight. Its windows have all been boarded up save for the upstairs windows and the pub itself ceased trading four years ago. The interior however is still in good shape. Many of the antiquities that adorned the pub's walls are still there and any new owner will buy the pub with the antiques thrown in. The antiques cover the walls of the ground floor and upper floor too.

The pub itself has three storeys and antiques are displayed on the walls of all but the very top floor. The top floor has four bedrooms and was often used as the living quarters or for a bed and breakfast unit. It has two working kitchens fit for operation in any commercial restaurant business and a function room specifically used for business or club association meetings. Even the walls of the function room are a plethora of rifles on exhibit with some dating back to the 1900s all of which have been hollowed out of course.

Commercial developers are expected to look over the pub this weekend and the asking price could be down to around $1.7 million. That will be seen as a knock down price as five years ago it went on the market at $2.5 million.